(a) Field
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to brakes and, more particularly, to a torque wrench adaptor system for a railcar hand brake assembly, and a method of using the same.
(b) Related Prior Art
Manual hand brake assemblies on conventional railcars such as, for example, platform type railcars, tank railcars, hopper railcars, as well as passenger railcars, are well known in the art. These manual hand brake assemblies are usable for applying the brakes on a railcar, or series of railcars, for safety measures during, for example, prolonged stationary operations of a railway convoy, maintenance on a train engine or a section of rails, or the likes.
Such manual brake assemblies are generally operable through a hand wheel generally found at one distal end of each railcar. To properly apply the manual brakes on the wheels of a railcar, an operator must rotate the hand wheel typically clockwise until a predetermined torque force is reached.
But, as is often the case, human error occurring typically during a particular series of odd events may eventually result in a hand wheel not being properly rotated to the predetermined torque value such that, in the end, a railcar, or a series of railcars starts to roll down a hill unattended and cause immeasurably grave accidents including loss of life.
For example, the torque on a brake hand wheel may not be properly set because an operator may be in a hurry to finish a work shift, is tired with soared muscles prior to applying the manual brakes, or simply neglects to set the proper torque since there are no feedback or measurable reference except the strain felt in his or her arms.
Furthermore, significant fatigue accumulation in the arms of the operator sequentially applying the hand brakes on, for example, a series of twenty railcars, or more, may not necessarily end up applying the same torque value on the last railcar, compared to the first car in the series. As well, there may be differences in the torque value applied, or at least the perception of the torque value applied by two different persons on a same hand brake assembly.
Furthermore, if a ratchet tool is used having a dial indicating the torque applied on the nut securing the hand wheel on its operating shaft, there exists a risk of altering the tightening of the hand wheel nut thereon. In such a case, the accumulation of such operations using a ratchet tool may inadvertently loosen the nut to a point where the hand wheel may fall off the railcar during travel, thus causing a hazard which, in turn, may also cause a railway accident.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved system for reliably applying a predetermined torque value on the hand wheel of a manual brake system of a railcar without risking to alter the tightening of the nut securing the hand wheel of the brake assembly.